Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayflower  It was for me always difficul to understand, how Adam could merrited heaven? |
Witsius writes:
IX. It still remains doubtful, whether the life promised to Adam upon his perseverance was to be enjoyed in paradise, or in heaven. The latter appears more probable.
1st. Because paradise is in scripture represented as a type of heaven. and heaven itself is called paradise, Luke xxiii 43. by that exchange of names which is very common between a sacrament, or sign, and the thing signified thereby. But is it in the least probable, that paradise should be made a sacrament after man’s ejectment?
2dly. Is it fit that man when raised to consummate happiness should reside there, where God does most brightly display the rays of his glorious majesty; which doubtless he does in heaven, where he has fixed his throne, Isa. lxvi. 1.
3dly. As the earthly paradise was furnished with all the delights and pleasures appertaining to this animal life, of which there is no necessity in that most perfect and immediate fruition of God, all that external entertainment being in the highest degree excluded thence; heaven ought to be deemed a much more suitable habitation for glorified man than the earthly paradise. However, we would not deny, that happiness does not depend on place; and there being scarce anything to demonstrate this in scripture; therefore we ought not to contend strenuously about such a question.